By Kevin Brown
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CHARLESTOWN – On April 1, a new nonprofit for Sullivan County was officially created thanks to the work of 21 volunteers who gathered in Charlestown to create hand-made beds for children needing a safe place to rest.
“Sleep in Heavenly Peace” (SHP) is a nationwide charitable nonprofit. Local chapter President Taysa Lynch of Unity said that for local chapters, 100 percent of all donations stay local, benefiting families in need.
Lynch said the organization’s motto is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” It is her goal to make this a reality throughout Sullivan County. Each bed is delivered and assembled at its new home, complete with a mattress, pillows and bedding.
The volunteers made their beds from scratch. Wood was cut to size, sanded, worked to a finish, and then framed together to build 15 beds. Lynch said no that experience is needed to help with a build project.
The full local leadership group includes Lynch; her husband, Core Build Manager Kevin Lynch; and Fundraising Manager Amanda Archibald. The local team was mentored by Bob Brosseau, who is president of the Chittenden County, VT chapter.
Lynch explained that new programs need to be approved after a mentor physically watches the “Core,” or first build, to ensure the group is able to successfully coordinate the many moving parts of such projects.
The local chapter was approved and is now ready to accept requests for beds and bedding for families.
Lynch and Archibald both agreed the volunteers were the key to this early success.
“Turnout was overwhelming,” Archibald said. “Emotionally overwhelming in the best way. It’s nerve-racking when you start something from scratch. You are depending on those volunteers to show up. If it wasn’t for the volunteers who took the time, we wouldn’t have been given the green light to be 100 percent open for Sullivan County.”
Archibald said it was Taysa Lynch who saw the value in implementing the program locally.
“Taysa works a lot with youth in our community,” she said. “She has seen firsthand the lack of resources for those who so desperately need a hand up. When she was approached to bring this to the county, she didn’t hesitate. It didn’t take long for word to spread.”
As with any nonprofit, Archibald said community support is vital.
“Donations help us provide what every child deserves – a safe place to rest their head,” Archibald said. “This is only possible from new, in-kind donations such as twin mattresses, twin bedding, and pillows, to monetary donations that help us fund the lumber and hardware.”
She encourages residents to join “The Bunkhead Club.” For a $20 monthly donation for 12 months, a contributor can fund one complete bunk bed. Learn more by visiting the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SHPSullivanCoNH or the website at https://shpbeds.org.
“The support we have already received is heartfelt,” she said. “We had no doubt SHP would be an awesome contributor to our community; we just didn’t realize how much it would impact so many in such a positive way so soon.”
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.